Improvement in wind-wheels



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM I-I. DERRIOK, OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN WIND-WHEELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 20,336, dated May 25, 1858.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM II. DEERICK, of Stockton, in the county of San Joaquin and State of California, have invented a new and Improved WindWheel; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a plan or top view of my improvement. Fig. 2 is a side view of the saine.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

The object of this invention is to render the wind-wheel, by a very simple means, selfregulating and also self-adjusting, so that the wheel will rotate with equal or nearly equal speed during variable degrees of velocity of the Wind.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a circular or annular cap which is placed on friction-rollers B, attached to the top of a suitable framing or support. On the cap A a horizontal shaft O is placed, said shaft being fitted in suitable bearings a a and having a wind-wheel D attached to one end. The wind-wheel D is provided with pennant sails or wings b, which have the usual or proper oblique position. The wheel may be constructed of any of the materials used for such purpose and in any of the known ways.

To the'cap A several small uprights c are attached, and to the upper ends of said uprights a semicircular plate Eis attached, said plate being concentric with the cap A and having its ends connected by a cross-bar d.

To the plate E and cross-bar d a vane F is permanently attached. This vane is placed obliquely with the shaft O of the wind-wheel, as shown clearly in Fig. l.

G is a vane which is constructed precisely of the same size and form of the vane F. At least it should be of such size and form as to present the same surface to the wind when the wheel is in operation. The vane-G is not permanently attached to the plate E and cross-bar d. Its inner end is allowed to work on a vertical pintle e, attached to the center of the bar d, and to facilitate the movement of this vane a friction-roller f is attached to it, said roller bearing on the plate E.

To the vane G a cord or cha-in g is attached, and this cord or chain passes around a pulley h, attached to the plate E, and over a pulley t', attached to the bar d. The lower end of the cord or chain g has a weight l-I attached, the size of which may be regulated as occasion may require.

A portion I of the outer end of the movable vane G is hinged to the main portion, as shown at j. This portion I, however, is allowed to turn or swing in one direction only, as indicated by arrow l, a plate 7c, which is attached to one side of the vane G, preventing the opposite movement of said part I. This will be understood by referring to Fig. l.

The operation is as follows: Suppose the wind to be moving moderately in the direction indicated by arrow 2, Fig. l. The vanes F G diverge at equal angles from the shaft C and present thewheel D directly to the wind, causing it to receive its full force. In case, however, the wind increases in velocity beyond a certain degree, it will move the vane G toward the vane F, the wind raising the weight H. This movement of the vane G will of course throw the wheel D obliquely to the wind, as shown in red, Fig. l, for the two vanes will always be presented equally to the wind whatever their position may be, and consequently if the wind becomes suflciently strong to overcome the gravity of weight 1I and turn the vaneG toward vane F the vane F and cap A will turn reciprocally toward G, throwing the wheel D in the oblique position indicated, while the relative position of the va-nes with the wind will be in all cases the same. By this simple means the wind-wheel is rendered self-regulating and made to rotate with an equal speed during variable velocities of the wind.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let-- ters Patent, is-

The movable or traversing vane G, with weight H attached, in combination with the permanent or stationary vane F, arranged as shown or in an equivalent way, to operate as and for the purpose set forth.

VILLIAM II. DERRIOII.

Witnesses:

C. CAMPBELL, WM. WEEKEs. 

